Anthology
by daysandweeks
Summary: My submissions for the forum competition at HPFC - a variety of one-shots showcasing different characters in relation to different prompts. Rating subject to change.
1. Exquisite

**Name: **Kate, daysandweeks

**House:** Hufflepuff

**Week:** One

**Prompt:** Taste

_Exquisite_

If Lucius had to decide what quality drew him to Narcissa the most, it would not be her beauty or family line or refined manners. It would be, rather, her taste.

In so many senses of the word, Narcissa Black was a young woman of taste. She had been this way for the entirety of their acquaintance and no other girl in their respective years at Hogwarts held a candle to her. When she came out after graduating from school, she was declared the bell of the ball for her beauty and charming nature and every man sought to catch the eye of this golden and naïve yet surprisingly sophisticated debutante.

Lucius, however, chased after her for a different reason. In their Hogwarts years, he had seen much of her beauty and little of her taste. In those years, he had paid much attention in order to pick up on these details, though they had always been present. For example, even now she always looked down her nose at those socially beneath her, and yet when someone made a distasteful joke she simply stuck that same small, delicately pointed feature up into the air and walked away with a crisp gate.

He'd spied examples of her refined and proper opinions and manners in other situations as well. Once, in his seventh year, he'd passed Narcissa shopping with friends on a Hogsmeade weekend. Though her friends all originally had chosen garishly colorful dress robes, Narcissa, armed with her superior taste, had led them to the back of the store to order custom made dresses in soft periwinkles and silvers and pastels.

And now that he was courting her, Lucius saw even more of Narcissa's exquisite style and behavior. It was their first date where chaperones had not followed them to the private room in the back of the restaurant that Lucius had demanded for the occasion and Narcissa sat before him, fascinatingly beautiful in a light blue gown. The waiter entered and poured them some champagne—a Muggle drink, but one any wizard, purist or not, with a good sense of flavor should appreciate—and then promptly left them to their business at which point Lucius couldn't help but judge Narcissa for her reaction.

She picked up the champagne flute gracefully and effortlessly, her thumb and first two fingers grasping the cup while her final two rested along the stem, her pinky almost curled around it. She seemed to expect Lucius to drink as well or perhaps to make a toast but when she noticed his eyes on her she realized what he was playing at and raised the glass to her lips, taking a small taste before removing it. She sat there for a few moments before appreciatively smiling and taking another sip, this one appropriate in size for someone enjoying what they were drinking—but not too much.

"How do you like it?" he asked after taking his own sip.

She smiled a broad smile, one not often seen from her in public where she cast small ones upon her many admirers. "It's exquisite," she said. "I can taste the grapes in it and the bubbles though I don't suppose bubbles really have a taste."

Lucius smiled at this and then told her, "It's champagne. A Muggle drink made in France."

She nodded but this didn't seem to bother her much. "It truly is fantastic."

The rest of the meal passed smoothly. They talked of many things and Lucius was not surprised to find that beyond having a good taste in beverages and clothing and jokes and social situations, Narcissa properly appreciated music, the arts, literature, and even Quidditch as well. She ate little of her supper, though he'd noted before that she always ate only small portions. She told him that she found it all very delicious, though, at least nibbling on every type of food in every course that passed their way, including dessert. "Just a taste," she allowed herself, and then dipped her spoon before sticking it in her mouth. He couldn't help but notice the pink of her tongue dash out rather quickly to lick the last of the chocolate off of the spoon.

They left the restaurant after supper and walked slowly down the street. There wasn't much left to do with the night and yet it was so young. It was barely even ten yet and Narcissa wasn't due home until twelve, and so they walked to the park, empty due to the hour, and then through it, admiring plants and wildlife as they went. Narcissa nodded at flowers she found beautiful, let her gloved fingers drift lazily over a rose, darkened in hue by the night, and told Lucius that despite her name her favorite flower was the peony and he couldn't help but smile and wonder if deep down Narcissa housed the same devil-may-care attitude of this flower that she so loved.

"You are smirking at me," she said, raising a delicately arched eyebrow. "I don't mean to make false predictions about your thoughts, but I suppose that you think I'm much more like my namesake, the vain daffodil."

Lucius nodded a bit. "I was simply wondering if there's something in the peony hidden within," he admitted.

She mocked outrage, removing her arm from his in order to place both of her hands on her chest. She was behaving forwardly now, but not improperly so. In fact, it was so fitting and right and appealing. "You mean to say there is no fire within me, Mr. Malfoy?" she questioned him before dropping her arms to her sides.

Lucius grinned. "Whatever misconceptions I held about you have vanished." He walked a few more paces, annoyed that they were no longer in such close proximity, and then sat down on the nearest bench hoping that she would follow suit. She did so, smoothing out her gown and placing her hands quite comfortably in her lap. "As for your resemblance to your namesake," Lucius continued now, "one would expect you to be vain. Whether you are or not is for you to say, but it would be impossible for anyone not to appreciate such beauty."

She turned to him and smiled and her naïve composure returned. "Thank you, Mr. Malfoy," she managed to say while blushing.

"There is no need to thank me for stating a fact, Miss Black."

She was only a year younger than him and yet when it came to flirtation that year seemed like so much. Perhaps it was because of her superb manners. While most girls would take this as their cue to be kissed, Narcissa, who continued to gaze at him from beneath lashes that were not lowered in the slightest, probably did not. Still, Lucius wanted to kiss her, despite what propriety or Narcissa's innocence demanded. He was reminded, thinking over everything wonderful about her, that it was her taste that had attracted him to her so much, and so wouldn't it only be fitting to physically savor her?

He could tell that she was more interested in him than in her other suitors. He had heard from them that she always claimed to tire easily and asked to go home after the main part of their evening was over, and yet here she was in the shadowy park with him. _Hang propriety!_ Lucius thought, gazing at her parted and pink lips, and then he leaned forward and kissed her.

She did not freeze like he expected her too and instead returned the kiss, her lips soft against his own. He deepened the kiss despite the fact that Narcissa was not supposed to be the type of girl to encourage such things, but she followed his lead, snaking a gloved hand behind his neck.

Lucius was not surprised to find out that not only did Narcissa have exquisite taste, but she tasted exquisite as well.


	2. Vengeful

**Name:** Kate, daysandweeks

**House:** Hufflepuff

**Week:** Two

**Prompt:** Choose two characters. Write a fic where both of them appear. One must be in your house. I chose **Zacharias Smith** for Hufflepuff and **Hermione Granger**. Non-romantic, takes place during HBP and hints at Ron/Hermione and Zacharias/Hannah.

_Vengeful_

Hermione found Zacharias in the library one chilly Thursday afternoon. Slamming her books down on the table to gain his attention, she plopped into the chair on the opposite side of the table. Zacharias, startled, raised his eyes to Hermione, gazing at her for a few moments before returning to the parchment spread before him where he had already written a few lines. "What is it you want, Granger?" he asked in a tone that irked her, his eyes still focused on his writing.

Hermione cleared her throat and Zacharias took the hint, pushing his quill aside and sitting back in his chair. When he met her gaze once more Hermione, her heart racing, opened her mouth to speak, but then he smirked at her, catching her off guard. His next words affected her even more than his annoyingly snide grin. "Look, I think I know why you're here," Zacharias said in his usual drawl. "If you're going to ask me to Slughorn's party, the answer's no."

"E…excuse me?" Hermione considered denying his accusation but was curious. She wanted to know how Zacharias had read her so easily. She inched forward in her seat, leaning across the table. Then she whispered, "How did you know?"

Zacharias sneered again, rolling his eyes and shaking his head. He mirrored her posture and she scooted her chair back a bit, not too keen to be in such close proximity to him. "I may not be a Ravenclaw," Zacharias said, "but I'm not stupid. I can put two and two together. You like Weasley but he's off snogging Lavender. So what else is there to do other than ask someone he completely despises on a date?" Hermione was flummoxed that he'd read her so well but resisted the urge to jump in her seat. Instead, she snorted, hoping to brush off any comments about her feelings for Ron. Zacharias leaned back in his chair again and then continued, crossing his arms over his chest as he spoke. "Now, of course I'd love to see Weasley squirm, but truthfully I don't dislike the bloke. I just find it funny he's so annoyed by me."

"It's because you're a complete prick," Hermione spat, barely worried about getting in trouble for being so loud in the library. "You're hardly a credit to your house, Smith."

Zacharias rolled his eyes. "You think all pricks should be in Slytherin, then?" he asked her. "Merlin, Granger. I thought you were more intelligent than that."

Hermione narrowed her eyes. It was evident why Ron disliked Zacharias so much. She needed a date to the Christmas party, but it looked like she would not find one in Zacharias. He hadn't said why, though. She couldn't help but question him for his reasoning.

When she did, Zacharias snorted. "Because I don't fancy bookish girls with bushy hair, Granger."

Astonished, Hermione stood up and clutched her books to her chest. "You're a prick, Smith," she snarled before stomping away from him and out of the library, fuming.

"You already said that," he called after her, chuckling.

Hermione prayed that Zacharias would be caught and reprimanded, but he somehow wasn't. Instead, he managed to chase after her. She intended to ignore him, keeping her pace quick as she stormed down the hallway, but he kept up with her and even grabbed her arm lightly to stop her before she rounded the next corner. Letting out a deep, agitated breath, Hermione turned to face Zacharias. He stood before her, a good eight inches taller with a messenger bag slung across his chest.

"Look," he said, his tone a bit kinder now, "it's not like I think you're not a catch, Hermione." She was startled by the use of her first name and relaxed from her stiffened position. Zacharias let go of her arm and she hugged her books closer to her chest. "But I'm a practical sort of person and I'm not going to go on a date with you if it doesn't help either of us out. So Weasley will be jealous if we go together." He snorted. "He'll be jealous if you go with any bloke who's not him, and furthermore he'll just be mad if you go with me. Why not take Harry? Ron will still be jealous but he won't have any _real_ reason to stop talking to you."

Hermione let out another deep breath and was silent, surprised by the sudden turn in conversation. Zacharias was being _friendly_. This was so unlike what she knew of him, not to mention the opposite of his demeanor within the library moments before. He mistook her silence for something else though, and smiled. "It's no secret that you and Weasley are in a fight, you know. Everyone knows you two fancy one another so the minute he started up with Lavender the entire school knew." Hermione blushed, completely surprised. Was this really true? "Everyone knows you like Ron except for him and I reckon everyone knows he fancies you except yourself."

She knew she was scarlet now and cleared her throat. After doing so, Hermione forced herself to look Zacharias in the eye as she continued on the subject. "Yes, well… It's not going to work out, Ron and me. So you're right, I'd like to have a date that enrages him. I don't want him to just be jealous." She paused. "Anyway, if I go with Harry, he'll know it's just as friends. He'll have won, then."

"I'm fairly certain relationships aren't about winning and losing."

Hermione let out a sigh. She really hadn't expected the conversation to go this way. Zacharias had always been so annoying in the past, from their first year up until five minutes ago in the library. Now he was behaving in a kind, understanding manner. She didn't know what to make of it. "I'll tell you what," he told her. "Let's find some place to sit and I'll help you find a date that will piss Ron off even more than me." Her eyes widened and his incorrigible smirk reappeared. "I can be alright when I want to be, Granger," he assured her.

They walked down the hall until they reached an empty classroom where they sat beside one another at a table. "I don't really know that many students not in our year or my house," Zacharias acknowledged. "Is there anyone you know who infuriates Ron—aside from myself?"

Smirking, Hermione placed a contemplative finger against her chin. "Hmm…" she mused. After a few silent moments, she remembered Quidditch try-outs earlier that year. "Cormac McLaggen!" she exclaimed. "He's a seventh year Gryffindor and an even bigger git than yourself." She said this in a crisp, joking tone, considering that Zacharias wasn't really as big of a git as she had previously thought.

"Perfect," Zacharias said, grinning as he angled himself towards her. "And you know what, I actually know him." He shook his head, grinning. "He fancies you, actually."

Hermione couldn't help but roll her eyes. "I wonder why," she said with a faux sigh. "After all, I'm bookish with bushy hair."

"Oh, nonsense, Granger." Zacharias laughed and stood up. He walked over to Hermione's side of the table before leaning against it. "Look, I'm not coming on to you here, but any bloke might fancy you. Viktor Krum did, for Merlin's sake, and he's a Quidditch star."

Hermione blushed. "I'd ask him to come. We're still good friends and Slughorn would love it and Ron would _despise_ it but…" She shook her head. "He's too busy with Quidditch and lives so far away. It wouldn't be feasible."

"Taking McLaggen would be, though," Zacharias said with a cheeky wink. He pulled at his tie a bit, obviously mulling things over. "You know what would be a stinger? If you said something in front of Ron, like, 'Oh, I asked Cormac to the party. Ever since Krum I've had a thing for _really good Quidditch players_.'"

Hermione couldn't help but laugh, both at Zacharias's impersonation of her voice and at the image in her mind. She pictured Ron with an indignant expression on his face. His ears would turn red with anger and embarrassment, but the color would soon run to his cheeks, making his freckles indistinguishable against his normally pale skin. Thinking of this, her heart softened a bit and she couldn't help but feel sad. She'd never get to kiss those cheeks, those lips…

She turned to face Zacharias, her mind back in the present. "Why are you helping me, Zacharias?" she asked, placing her hands on the table so that her palms were upright. "I just wanted to use you and now you're helping me."

Zacharias shrugged and she thought he would ignore the question, but he seemed to think better of it as he stood up straight and faced her properly. "Well," he said, "you said earlier I'm not a credit to my house. And the truth of the matter is, I never fancied myself a _real_ Hufflepuff."

"I didn't mean to insult you," Hermione murmured, unsure where this was going.

He placed out a finger, quieting her. "What I mean is… Everyone knows that there are two types of Hufflepuffs: the loyal, friendly, caring ones and the other lot that just didn't fit in with any other house. I always thought I was that second type. I have the intelligence but not the bookish nature of a Ravenclaw, the ambition and style but not the cunning of a Slytherin, the arrogance but not the bravery of a Gryffindor…" He trailed off as Hermione giggled and he smiled and nodded, conceding, before continuing in the same sober tone. "But I never thought I was hard-working like Susan, friendly like Justin, loyal like Ernie, the type who didn't judge like Hannah."

Zacharias shrugged again, stuffing his fists into the pockets of his robes. "But really, I guess I am. I saw you today and I knew what you wanted. If I was more of a Ravenclaw, I would've staid in the library and continued with my homework after you stormed out. If I was more of a Slytherin, I would go to Slughorn's party with you, taking it as an opportunity to annoy someone who hates me and, frankly, cop a feel."

"That's disgusting," Hermione commented, making a face and scooting away from Zacharias.

He shrugged and said in an aggravated tone, "That's the truth. You would've gone with it, too. You'll go with it if you ask McLaggen. There's nothing wrong with a little groping between vengeful teenagers."

She shot him a questioning glance. "Who are you vengeful about?"

Zacharias let out a deep sigh. "Hannah Abbot," he admitted. "I'm not vengeful about her, necessarily, but…"

There was a look in Zacharias's eyes that made Hermione realize why he was helping her. He knew how she felt. But then again, he wasn't off on dates with some other girl to make his true crush feel jealous and spiteful. He cleared his throat and continued and she couldn't help but notice that his cheeks had turned pink. "And if I was more of a Gryffindor, I would go with you because… Well, we'd be friends, being in the same house and all…"

He still seemed to feel awkward from bringing up his feelings and the two were silent for a moment until Zacharias shook his head and continued. "But I'm not in any other house but Hufflepuff, Hermione," he stated. "I guess when it comes down to it, I'm too…friendly or good or nice or something to go about pulling some con like that just to make Ron and Hannah jealous. But then again, I'm a good enough person to help you come up with some alternative." He paused and said, quietly, "Or maybe I'm loyal. Loyal to Hannah. I can't be with another girl while I feel this way for her." Then, trying to lighten the mood, he added with a wink, "Publicly, of course. If you're up for some sexually frustrated, angry fumbling in a broom closet, I'm your man."

Hermione wasn't sure if Zacharias was being serious or not, but hoped it was the latter and giggled. "I'll have to turn _you_ down this time," she said, standing up and cradling her books to her chest with one arm. "But thank you, Zacharias." She stuck out her free hand and offered it to him. He smiled and shook it firmly.

"You're welcome, Hermione," he said with a nod, letting go of her hand and picking up his messenger bag. "That's what friends or…enemies or whatever…are for."

She laughed then and they exited the classroom before heading their separate ways, Zacharias to the Great Hall and Hermione to the grounds, where she had heard Cormac liked to fly to stay in shape. She would ask him to Slughorn's Christmas party and perhaps spend a second or two under the mistletoe with him.

After all, there was nothing wrong with a little groping between vengeful teenagers.


	3. Only Ever Yours

**Name:** Kate, daysandweeks

**House:** Hufflepuff

**Week:** Three

**Prompt:** Set Three – Angst. In order of appearance: there's a beginning of things; you know?; rose; snuffed out candle; never; while this was happening; let me forget

_Only Ever Yours_

_Her lips taste like liquor._

_He never expected that, but right now his must as well. He kisses her impatiently, hungrily. God, why does he want her so badly? When did she become so beautiful?_

_Teddy can barely remember the hours that led up to this moment. He fumbles with her dress, slides it above her hips. Lily shivers against him and he thinks, Oh my God. I'm compromising her. Can't do this. I have to walk away._

_But he doesn't listen to those words because she pulls him closer and he realizes that if he intended to walk away at all, he should've done so hours earlier._

xx

There's a beginning of things.

There's always a moment when relationships, love affairs, and casual hook-ups are formed. With the most sensible associations, both parties involved usually fail to notice the start. It might involve a flirtatious glance, a dangerous comment or a simple kiss. Usually successful couples can't look back and notice when things started. They might remember the moment they met or their first date or first kiss or the second they fell in love, but it's hard to pick up on the official beginning when things are so right and set in stone.

When things _aren't_ right, though—that's when beginnings are easy to pick up on. There was a moment that night that alarms went off in Teddy's head. It was an hour after he arrived at the Burrow that evening for the Weasleys' annual sending-off party.

The late August air was humid and seemed to slow time as he entered the dining room. His eyes flew to Lily right away, which was strange since he normally noticed Victoire and the accompanying stab to his heart first. But tonight he noticed Lily. She had somehow become a woman since he'd seen her last—a year ago from today, in fact. She would start her final year at Hogwarts tomorrow.

An hour later, he was alone in the kitchen, pouring himself a glass of firewhisky to dull the confusion he felt at admiring his goddaughter, of all people. That's when Lily walked in, took the bottle from him, and poured herself a glass.

"I've missed you," she said quietly, and then he looked at her and then her lips and then her eyes again and realized that if he was going to turn back, he better now.

Instead, he told her, "I've missed you too."

And then he led her outside.

xx

_She kisses him fiercely, nearly clinging to him as he pulls her tightly to his body. She feels fantastic. She's beautiful, Lily is, and only seventeen but he's done having qualms about that because she's… Well, she's what he's always wanted, isn't she? Only Teddy's just noticing things now, which is typical of him, really. She's loved him for how long? And he's always cast her aside, thinking of her as a little girl…_

_But she's not a little girl, he reminds himself as he takes off his shirt and then slowly, romantically peels of her dress, casting it aside in the soft grass. She lies down in the grass as well and he gazes at her pale skin in the moonlight. There's a freckle on her left hip._

_He has to kiss it._

xx

They walked outside, bottle of firewhisky in tow. "Why haven't you been around?" Lily asked, sipping her drink carefully. Teddy watched her out of the corner of his eye and couldn't help but smirk as she winced. She was still young in so many ways but an adult by all standards as well. For a disturbing moment, he longed to be the soft blue cotton dress that clung so tightly to her skin, but then pushed the thought away in order to allow blood to his head. He had to answer her question, after all.

"I'm busy with work," he told her, feeling horrible for the strange, hurt look she sent him. "But I'm here now. I had to see my goddaughter off before her final year of Hogwarts."

He winked at her and she giggled but then frowned before giggling and frowning again. The changes that played across her face were so startling that Teddy had to reach out a hand and place it on her shoulder, which was a big mistake by all means. She folded herself into him, leaning against his side before saying, "I wish I wasn't your goddaughter."

His arm wrapped around her of its own accord. He suddenly wished they weren't just in the backyard of the Burrow, but rather miles and miles away. He didn't want to Apparate, though, so he just pulled away from Lily before grabbing her hand and leading her to the field he used to run about with her in when she was a child and he was her age.

Once they were at the field, Lily sighed and sat down in the long grass. She forgot about her glass, instead taking a swig directly from the liquor bottle. Teddy followed suit. "The words you used… _seeing me off_." She quoted him and laughed, rolling her eyes. "I remember you saw Victoire off once, not so long ago. Is it going to be like that, then?"

She looked Teddy in the eye and he froze, wondering if her gaze was hopeful or reproachful. He didn't speak for some time, sitting down beside her instead. "It's not going to be like that," he told her because that's what his brain commanded him to say. His heart, however—and his loins, if he was to be honest with himself—suggested something different. _Just kiss her. She wants that. She needs it twice as much as you do._

He didn't, though, or at least not right away. When Lily gazed at him again, her eyes were glassy from the firewhisky. "I don't want to be your goddaughter, you know?" she said, repeating the same idea she had brought up at the Burrow. "I want us to have a chance."

"I want us to have a chance, too," he admitted, and he didn't kiss her but that was alright because she kissed him.

xx

_He wants to make love to her in the moonlight, the soft grass rustling around them, but then so many images come to him and he freezes. Lily's seventeen and he's pretty sure she's a virgin. It wouldn't matter either way; he'd want her just as badly. But still, she deserves more than a drunken romp in the field. She deserves a romantic evening with candles and rose petals and quiet music in the background. She's too beautiful for this._

"_Please," she whispers to him, sitting up in the grass, which appears colorless in the moonlight. "I want this, Teddy. I want you. So much."_

_It's a candle he pictures now—a candle straight out of what should be Lily's perfect romantic evening. But now she's reclining against the soft grass once more, her eyes so wide and glassy and vulnerable, and the candle is snuffed out._

xx

"We should stop," he said, pushing her away. He had been lying in the grass, Lily on top of him. "We should go back. We shouldn't do this."

Lily looked completely heartbroken and he immediately felt remorse for his words. She bit her bottom lip and then stood up slowly, smoothing the skirt of her dress along her legs with trembling hands. She began to pace and he thought she was about to walk away and stood up, suddenly regretting his words. His hands caught at the hem of her dress as he brought himself to his feet, but she didn't notice.

"Don't you want me?" Lily nearly shouted, twirling around. She was obviously surprised by his proximity and folded herself into his embrace once more. "Don't you want me?" she cried into his chest.

Teddy was shocked by how small she seemed once more, but it wasn't the sort of small that made him think of her as a child. "Of course I want you," he murmured into her hair, which had turned a rich shade of black over the years, before kissing the top of her head. "I've never wanted anyone more."

Lily stepped away from him. "Then take me, please," she said, untying her dress. It was a simple maneuver and did nothing to reveal any more of her skin, but stirred something in him nonetheless. "Take me. I'm yours. Only yours. Only ever yours."

xx

_They lay in the grass now, Lily's head resting on Teddy's chest. He thinks only of her, relishing in the feeling of her warm summer skin against his own. She will be gone tomorrow. _Does she feel the sadness I feel about it?_ he wonders, kissing the top of her head once more. They won't see one another until December. Does she regret what they've done? If not, will she grow to?_

_He prays that she won't and hugs her to his chest. "I love you," he whispers to her, wondering where such words came from but knowing that they're the truth._

_She sniffles and looks up at him with her wide brown eyes, obviously shocked. "Thank you," she nearly cries before snuggling into him even more, though they were already very close together. "God, I love you."_

_They rest like this for a while until Teddy begins to wonder what is going on at the Burrow. While this was happening—while they were making love—the rest of their family was celebrating as usual. Did they wonder where Lily and Teddy had run off to?_

_Teddy nudges Lily and helps her to stand, realizing that he is still a bit drunk by the way the world seems to spin around him, but maybe it's just her presence that does this to him. "We've got to head back," he says, handing her her blue dress. "They'll wonder where we are."_

_She smiles at him and takes the garment and the two get dressed. They head back to the Burrow hand-in-hand. "What will we tell them?" Lily asks quietly the moment the house is in sight._

_Teddy shrugs. He doesn't know. It's wrong what he's done, and yet so right. And furthermore, it's what _they've_ done, not just what he's done. He smiles down at Lily and kisses her. "We'll tell them an altered version of the truth," he says. "Because… Well…" He wants to be with her. Forever. It's a jarring thought but it's the truth._

_When they return, though, everyone has gone to bed. The younger cousins sleep in the living room, the adults in separate rooms upstairs. Teddy and Lily pick their way through the crowd until they reach an empty couch where they lie down together. Teddy supposes they really haven't been missed that much—or perhaps everyone knew what they were up to. Perhaps everyone saw it coming but him._

_It's a comforting thought, though he doesn't quite believe it. He wraps his arms around Lily and closes his eyes and the spinning sensation returns. He's still not sure if he's drunk on her love or the alcohol, but in case it's the latter he sends out a prayer before falling asleep. _Please_, he thinks, _please don't let me forget this in the morning.

_Lily sighs contently into his chest and the two fall asleep._


	4. Memories

**Name:** Kate, daysandweeks

**House:** Hufflepuff

**Week:** Four

**Prompt:** Frank Longbottom paired with a non-Hufflepuff. I chose Alice Longbottom. Though canon never specifies their houses, I picture them both as Gryffindor. **Oh, and as a note** – I'm aware that I change tenses in this and I'm hoping that's not looked at as a mistake. I wanted the memories to be in the present tense, since assumedly Frank still has those memories now, and the beginning and end to be in the past tense as it's just focused on one period of time, which chronologically would've been over a decade ago.

_Memories_

Everyone always says that when you die, your life passes before your eyes. Frank often thought about that. Was it really true? He had no way of knowing even though he _felt_ as if he had died. Instead of passing on to some mysterious afterlife, Frank had been tortured into insanity, which in a lot of ways was worse.

He wasn't sure how it was for Alice, who he knew had been tortured as well. For Frank, his life passed before his eyes every single day. What had at first been pleasant memories had become a small torture as he became more and more aware of his present state. For all he knew decades had passed and his son was a grown man, but he couldn't physically see anything. His memories took up his vision.

All of his memories had to do with her—Alice. He hoped and prayed that she'd overcome the torture they'd been put through, because when he thought over his memories of her he realized again and again how much she had to offer the world and how good of a mother she was.

xx

He wakes up to the first memory every morning, his first memory of Alice. They're in first year Transfiguration when the small dark-haired girl passes him a note. Frank makes a strange face at her before accepting it and opening it up slowly in order to avoid attracting any attention.

_Do you fancy me? Circle one._

_yes_

_no_

_maybe_

Frank is completely confused. He's met Alice before—they're in the same house—but nothing about her has ever stood out to him. Then again, she's nice enough and smart and funny. He certainly doesn't want to circle yes but no seems so definitive, so he decides to circle the last option, wondering why she even put it there in the first place.

He hands the note back to Alice after class and she smiles a small smile upon reading his answer. From then on, she's very friendly to him.

xx

It's the first weekend into their third year and Frank and Alice are off to Hogsmeade together. Frank hasn't thought much about Alice's note since she wrote it and he supposes she hasn't either. The two have become the best of friends since then. However, the other boys have begun to notice Alice, even if Frank hasn't, and on this particular weekend it makes him feel a bit strange. He doesn't like when an older Ravenclaw boy winks at Alice and when a Hufflepuff boy buys her a butterbeer.

As they walk back to school, Frank casts Alice sideways glances. There _are_ quite a lot of reasons for the other chaps to like her, he supposes. She's developed faster than the other girls. Her breasts and hips are rounder but she still has those trademark attractive traits of girlhood—thin legs, unblemished skin, wide eyes. He wonders whether she fancies him but doesn't question her. They're friends. _Best friends_. They will never be anything more than that or anything less.

xx

There are enough Hogwarts memories to last the morning, but Frank always spends quite some time musing over a particular one from his seventh year. He and Alice sit in the Gryffindor common room, pouring over textbooks. It's the week before exams and they're exhausted and have a lot more studying to do, but Frank abruptly starts a conversation. "I'm thinking about breaking up with Gwen."

Alice frowns at him, placing her Charms book in her lap. "Why?" she asks.

Frank thinks over his reasons for breaking up with Gwen. He'd never been able to come up with any before, but now he manages to explain. "I just don't like her that much. Never did, I suppose." He pauses and fingers the pages of his textbook before continuing with what's really bothering him. "But I don't know if I should break up with her, Alice. I mean… I really don't fancy her as much as I thought I did, but what's the harm in that? She's nice and pretty and likes me. But there's just no…" He doesn't say chemistry, but that's what his relationship is lacking. Chemistry is what he has with Alice, he always belatedly realizes when thinking over his memories.

Alice folds her legs underneath herself and then says in a quiet, wise voice, "When you walk away from someone and there's just no…_pull_… Well, that's when you know you're doing the right thing by breaking up with them."

_Pull_. It all makes so much sense to him now. Frank is always indifferent about Gwen. He doesn't really care. So he's got to do it. He's got to leave her.

As if on cue, Gwen enters the common room. Frank jumps up and approaches her before she has the time to corner him with Alice. "Hey, Gwen," he says. "We've got to talk."

It's strange, he realizes as he stands by the staircase to the girls' dormitory with Gwen. The entire time he's talking to her, telling her that he wants to end it, his eyes keep drifting back towards Alice as if pulled there by their own accord.

xx

The second Alice steps onto the Hogwarts Express, Frank pulls her into an empty compartment and impulsively kisses her. She freezes at first and then steps away from him, causing Frank to let out a curse at his own stupidity. However, Alice has only pulled away in order to place down her trunk. The moment she's done with that she races back to Frank and kisses _him_ this time and it's all a very quick train ride from there.

"I've got to see you again," he tells her when the train pulls into the station. "I don't know why it took me years to realize this, Alice, but I—"

"Shh," he says, and there are tears in her eyes. "Don't say it. You'll see me again someday. Tell me then."

With that, she kisses him and leaves, her hair slightly disheveled and her lips very swollen and tears still in her eyes.

xx

That image of Alice is all he has to last him for over a year, so the next memory he has, which he generally reaches by mid-afternoon, takes place a while later. He's headed to the Department of Magical Law Enforcement, where he has just finished Auror training, when Alice steps onto the elevator with him as if out of a dream.

"Alice?" Frank asks, completely bewildered. "What are you doing here?"

The elevator is empty save for them, he suddenly realizes. Alice turns to face him slowly, a sly smile on her face. She doesn't appear at all surprised to see him. "I'm headed where you are, Frank," she tells him. "I've spent a year off and completely hated it and I made the grades so I was accepted to the program."

He remembers what she asked him to tell her he next time he saw her but refrains. Now that they're reunited, there will be moments more romantic than sharing an elevator together, he realizes. He'll tell her then.

xx

Their first date followed by their second, third, and fourth round out his afternoon. Memories of kissing her, of making love to her for the first and hundredth time, and of lazy Sunday afternoons bring him well into the evening, where he fondly remember their marriage. That's followed by the birth of their son and the memories Neville brings along. He smiles as he watches Alice lay him down in his crib for the first time. He beams as she sings him a nursery rhyme. He laughs as Alice laughs at _him_ when he changes Neville's diaper for the first time.

It's love and it's intoxicating and wonderful, but this bliss has to end soon.

xx

If he's lucky, Frank falls asleep before reaching his final memory. Alice has just put Neville to sleep in his crib and they sit downstairs quietly. Alice seems out or sorts, though Frank is as well. The news about the deaths of Lily and James Potter has greatly upset them, though the defeat of Voldemort by their son, who is just Neville's age, is a story that has gripped the magical world.

Without saying anything, Frank reaches forward and grips Alice's hand. She smiles up at him and he's about to lean in for a kiss when the front door is thrust open. Frank immediately jumps up and reaches for his wand but Alice doesn't move quickly enough. Without so much as a taunt for a greeting, Bellatrix Lestrange yells, "_Crucio!_" Frank is at Alice's side in an instant, casting all sorts of hexes in Bellatrix's direction, but her husband thwarts all of them for her before his brother casts the same spell on Frank.

And from there it's all pain. The pain of watching Alice suffer. The pain of hearing Neville cry from upstairs. The pain of his own body. The pain of waking up to nothing but memories with no future again and again and again.

xx

It was late at night, Frank knew, but not too late. He was in the midst of a happy memory about teaching Neville to walk when he heard footsteps. Occasionally he was able to hear bits and pieces of the outside world, though generally he was trapped inside his own head.

"Hello Mum. Dad."

_Neville's learning to speak so well_, Frank thought, watching as his son toddled towards him, Alice standing behind.

"I've got some news."

_Neville's mouth isn't moving, though_, Frank realized. Confused, he blinked slowly. When his eyes opened, he was surprised to find himself in a different place. The picture before him was hazy, but what he saw as a young man standing by his bedside. There was another bed beyond the man. Whose was it?

"The war's over. Voldemort has been defeated. And I've avenged you."

_He looks like Alice_, Frank thought. _Neville. He looks so much like his mother_.

"I love you, and I just wanted you to know… It's all over. It's all going to be okay."

The young man reached down and kissed the cheek of the person on the other bed. _That's Alice_, Frank realized, and it pained him to know she was still in the same state as he was. Then the man moved over to Frank's bed and patted him on the shoulder before leaving.

"Neville," Frank managed to say quietly, but his son had already left, leaving Frank with a new memory to fall asleep to.


	5. Sunrises in Somerset

**Name:** Kate, daysandweeks

**House:** Hufflepuff

**Week:** Five

**Prompt:** b) Pick a pairing. At least one character in the pairing must be from a house that you have not chosen yet. The other character can be of your choosing, as long as they went to Hogwarts. You must choose 1 to 4 lines of a song, poem or quote and then write a fic centering on your pairing inspired by those lines. I chose **Padma Patil** of **Ravenclaw** and **Theodore Nott** of **Slytherin** (though Parvati is featured as well) and lines from **Summer Skin by Death Cab For Cutie**. Also, I'd like to say that title and quote included, this story comes in four words shy of the maximum!

_Sunrises in Somerset_

"I knew your heart I couldn't win / 'cause the season's change was a conduit / And we'd left our love in our summer skin"

_Summer Skin_, Death Cab For Cutie

Happenstance brought them together the summer before their fateful seventh year. Theodore, practically parentless, had decided to treat himself to a seaside vacation, the likes of which he hadn't seen since his mother's death years before. He'd ventured to a popular vacation spot in Somerset, one not far from the town he'd visited with his parents as a child, not expecting anything more than a quiet summer by the ocean with nothing but the waves to keep him company.

The Patils were there was well, though, as they were every year. Theodore literally bumped into Padma and Parvati on the first of August and that was when it all started. A glance, an apology, a "what are _you_ doing here?" from Padma's sister—the next thing the three knew, they were sitting on the beach, laughing and glaring against the sun.

Padma knew that she and Parvati had little in common with Theodore. She also knew that Parvati didn't especially like the boy. "His father's a Death Eater," she hissed to Padma as they changed for bed that night. "He's not a good sort at all. He's headed down the wrong path."

"But _he's_ not a Death Eater," Padma insisted, combing her freshly washed hair. She hated when her sister was judgmental. "He seems an okay sort. We had fun today," she continued, remembering their awkward laughter as they gazed out at the sea. She'd sat between Parvati and Theodore, and her hand had accidentally brushed against his for a second, causing him to eye her strangely.

Parvati gazed back at her sister, a slight pitying frown on her face. "You're not falling for him, are you?" she asked, her voice betraying a vague annoyance.

Padma shook her head. "Not at all," she answered. "That's the first time we've spoken, I think." Her mouth kept going, though. "And he's not that attractive. All lanky."

"He looks like a rabbit," Parvati shot out with a laugh.

"He does not!" Padma practically yelled, not even giggling and immediately regretting her description of Theodore as unattractive. She was aware of how grave her voice sounded. "He doesn't even have that bad of an overbite. Hermione Granger's was worse, and you're friendly with her."

Parvati rolled her eyes before shutting off the light and collapsing in bed. Padma put down her comb and followed suit.

"You're falling for him," Parvati murmured in the darkness, and Padma didn't deny it. "Sometimes I wonder how you're the one in Ravenclaw."

xx

When Theodore spotted the twins the next day, walking in the opposite direction down the beach, his heart skipped a beat. Ever since meeting them the other day, he hadn't been able to get Padma from his mind. He'd always admired the Patils at school, with their glossy hair, perfect complexions, and pouty lips. He'd noticed yesterday, though, that Padma had something special. Her laugh was melodic. Her eyes were a brilliant shade of coffee-brown. She was almost graceful in her intelligence and didn't seem to tense up when he was quiet.

"Hello," Theodore said quietly with a nod in their direction.

Parvati nodded back without returning his greeting but Padma smiled warmly. "Hello," she said, her smile turning into a grin.

Theodore couldn't help but smile back, but then his attention was turned to Parvati. She tucked a strand of hair behind her ear before nodding at Theodore again. "There's, um… There's a shop I want to look at on the promenade. I have to buy a gift for Lavender. See you." With that, she smiled at Padma, who paled a bit, and then walked off.

Padma was quiet for a moment, staring after her sister. She eventually turned to Theodore, though, and smiled tightly, squinting against the sun. "So how long are you staying for?" she asked.

"Until summer's over," Theodore replied. "You?"

"I'm jealous!" Padma exclaimed and she truly was. She loved the seaside and absolutely despised having to go home to Birmingham after holiday, especially knowing that school would start in just another few weeks. She loved Hogwarts, of course, but the splendor of the ocean was so much better. "I'm leaving in a week," she answered.

Theodore nodded, thinking it was too bad but not saying as much. He wanted to spend as much time as possible with Padma, though he wasn't sure where these feelings were coming from. Ultimately, he knew that they'd go back to Hogwarts and that they wouldn't say more than a few words to one another ever again. But right now… Well, right now he couldn't stand the thought of ever leaving her side.

"Do you want to go swimming?" Padma asked, pulling Theodore from his thoughts.

"Oh!" Theodore exclaimed, and Padma's heart skipped a beat, wondering what had led her to be so bold. "Yes, I'd love to," he said, "but I really just came down here for a walk and haven't got my swim trunks."

Padma shook her head, figuring that she might as well continue being brave. "Just go in your shorts," she said with a shrug. "You've got a change back where you're staying, don't you?"

Theodore nodded and the two walked along the beach until they found a good spot to place their belongings. Padma peeled off her sundress to reveal a blue bikini, and Theodore tore his eyes away. Attempting to remain casual, he murmured, "I, um… I haven't got a place to put my wand."

Unthinkingly, Padma said, "We can hide it in my dress. I left mine in the house." She realized that if Theodore _was_ some sort of novice Death Eater, then admitting that she was wandless wouldn't be a good thing. Padma doubted that Theodore held anything against her—she was a pureblood too, after all—but it was possible he knew of her involvement in Dumbledore's Army. She couldn't help but want to trust him though, and handed him her dress, feeling a bit foolish doing so.

Theodore took the garment with an awkward smile and then rummaged in his pocket. He procured his wand and then wrapped it up in the dress, looking around suspiciously. If any of the other beachgoers noticed their actions, no one made so much as a strange face or a comment.

Theodore took off his shirt now, and Padma was surprised to see that though he was pale, his body was toned. She'd never expected that, particularly since he'd never been on his house's Quidditch team.

He must've noticed her staring, because when her eyes finally met his he quickly looked away. "Um, shall we go in then?" Theodore asked, and Padma nodded before following him to the ocean.

She stepped in first, practically running to the waves, not stopping until she was waist deep. "Come on!" she called to Theodore, who calmly walked until he reached her.

They swam out for a while. Theodore couldn't help but be mesmerized as he watched Padma swim against the waves, laughing if one caught her off-balance. They stopped once they both had to tread water, and Padma let out a sigh. "Who are you staying with?" she asked, suddenly realizing that Theodore was pretty much parentless. She knew that his mother was dead and had read in the _Prophet_ that his father was in Azkaban.

"Myself," Theodore replied quickly, and that was the end of that conversation.

They swam in companionable silence for a bit before riding the waves back to the shore. Parvati was there, a shopping bag in hand, sitting by their belongings. They headed towards her, laughing about Theodore's sopping wet shorts. "They weigh a ton," he complained, wondering how he hadn't realized this while swimming.

Padma immediately felt awkward once they reached Parvati. Their laughter died as Parvati glared at the pair. "We've got to head back now," she snapped. "It's nearly sunset. Mum and Dad want us home for dinner."

Padma nodded and picked up her dress. She unfolded it and handed Theodore his wand as he put his shirt back on. "Well, I had a lot of fun," she chirped. "I'll, um, see you."

When he didn't answer her, Padma turned around to see Parvati already waiting for her farther up the beach. "Wait!" Theodore called, not sure where his words were coming from, and Padma whipped around to face him. "I've got to see you again," he blurted out, knowing that what he said was true but curious as to where this new confidence had originated.

Padma turned back to see Parvati glaring once more before taking a few steps towards Theodore. "Look," she nearly whispered, "Parvati doesn't like this. It's not like she'll do anything about it, but she doesn't. And my parents...they wouldn't like it either." It was true. They'd be worried to know that Padma was spending time with a Death Eater's son. She was too embarrassed to explain this to Theodore and also too embarrassed to look him in the eye, so she made due with staring at his shoes as he slipped them back on his feet. "So… Well, I want to see you again too, but when can we?"

"Meet me here at sunrise," Theodore immediately said. Padma looked up at him and both of their hearts raced when their gaze connected. His was intense and hers was incredibly vulnerable. "Right here," he told her after regaining a bit of composure. "They won't even know you're gone, and if they do…"

"I'll say I went for a morning walk," Padma finished. "I do that sometimes."

"I do too," Theodore said with a smile.

xx

Theodore dreamt that night of his usual morning walks along the grounds of Hogwarts. He'd never been caught except by Dumbledore, who had always let him off with a thought-provoking comment and a smile. Dumbledore was gone now, though not in his dream. Theodore realized that something was amiss, though, and felt sad and nostalgic to see the former headmaster wandering the grounds, the sun barely up.

Something was different in this dream. Theodore met Padma on his way back to the school. "Hello," she greeted him before kissing him sweetly on the lips. It felt so real and so right. In the dream, Theodore loved her and needed her. He could die this way, her lips chastely pressed against her own.

Instead, Theodore woke up, glanced out the window, and realized that it was time to go.

xx

He was there first, standing in the spot where they had left one another the afternoon before. Padma noticed, even in the near darkness, that Theodore was wearing the same style of shirt as yesterday, this time in forest green. Now, though, he seemed so much broader to her. Perhaps it was the lighting or more likely it was her knowledge of what was beneath that shirt. She blushed when an image came to her mind—an image of her kissing the pale skin above his heart.

"Hey," he said by way of greeting, and she said it in return before they instinctively headed towards the ocean, sitting down a foot or so from where the tide ended. It was high tide, so there was no worry of the water chasing them farther inland.

"I dreamt of you last night," Theodore said. He was surprised by his daring and Padma was surprised as well, nearly jumping at his words. She was happy to hear what he said, though, and didn't question to him about what he'd dreamt. Somehow she knew what he meant.

They sat there quietly, staring out at the ocean. The sun rose in the other direction, but that didn't seem to bother them. They stared out at the last of the stars, lost in thought. Perhaps it was the knowledge that last year had been their final normal school year at Hogwarts that brought them to ponder. September would be different. Theodore knew that he would remain under the radar, doing what he had to do to remain educated, healthy and safe. Padma knew that she would side with her Gryffindor sister, doing whatever she had to do to protect what was right in this world. Theodore and Padma were two completely different people with nothing more than a mutual attraction and a few sunrises in Somerset to bring them together.

Theodore kissed her then, just as gently as she had kissed him in his dream. The sensation was better, though. Her lips were softer than he expected and tasted sweet and tangy like oranges.

To Padma, the kiss made her feel as if she was being swept away with the waves. She was head over heels already and she knew that no one would approve of this strange new relationship. But then again, despite what felt like the tide rushing in just to drag her out to sea, Theodore's lips were an anchor. They kept her grounded even though she wanted to run away, angered by the injustice in the world. Theodore was someone who knew the pain that the _other_ side faced, left parentless with his father rotting away in Azkaban.

They kissed like that for some while, refusing to let go of one another until the last of the light reached the horizon and the first of their fellow beachgoers arrived.

xx

"I don't like it, Padma," Parvati spat as they prepared for the day later that morning. "I know where you were. Out for a morning walk… Yeah, right…"

"I can't help who I like, Parvati," Padma hissed, tears stinging at the corners of her eyes. "It's just a few days, alright?"

Parvati frowned into her purse as she pulled out her lip gloss which she quickly applied. When she was finished, she tossed the makeup into her back before sitting down next to Padma on the bed and gazing at her lap. "Exactly," she murmured quietly. "It's just a few days in August, Padma. And I'm sorry, but that's all you two will ever have."

xx

Theodore and Padma didn't speak of this for the next two sunrises, though it was on both of their minds. They laughed and shared stories of their childhood. They recounted silent moments they'd shared at school. Padma remembered seeing Theodore alone at the Yule Ball in their fourth year, staring after his date with a bored expression. They'd both been in the same boat that night but had been too foolish to ask the other to dance.

It was on the fourth sunrise, though, that their problem had to be confronted. With only two more sunrises before them, Theodore knew that the matter had to be spoken of. "What are we going to do when this week's over, Padma?" he asked, his voice betraying his sadness.

"I don't know," she responded, just as gloomy.

Theodore cleared his throat. "It's not going to be like this," he said quietly. "I know that you and Parvati were in that D.A. thing and… Well, I don't see a problem with it. I have my prejudices but I'm by no means against your side. I don't _have_ a side," he said, allowing his words to run away with him. "I just want to do what's best for me. I want to make it out of this war alive and well, no matter who wins."

He turned to face Padma, who smiled sadly and looked him in the eye. "You're a true Slytherin, you know," she commented. "You're selfish and I admire that."

"You say it like it's a good thing," Theodore replied with a snort.

Padma laughed and rolled her eyes. "What I mean is, I wish I had your sensibility," she elaborated.

Theodore shook his head before kissing her quickly on the lips. "You know, I hope that no matter what happens I'll see you years from now and realize what a fool I've been. Maybe you'll still be available. And maybe we can spend a few more sunrises in Somerset."

Padma's eyes welled up and the tears pored over. She couldn't help but spend their final few minutes together that morning crying, and Theodore couldn't help but kiss her tears away.

xx

Their final morning, Sunday, was spent in much the same manner. Padma had to rush back home, having remained on the beach until the last possible minute. Her parents laughed, teasing their daughter for loving the seaside so much that she had to take one final morning walk. Parvati simply rolled her eyes before all four grabbed onto the Portkey, a pair of goggles, and returned home.

In the instant before the familiar spinning sensation hit Padma, she glanced out the window to the beach. She thought she saw a figure there in a forest green shirt, waving goodbye, but wasn't too sure.

xx

They passed one another in the hall several times that year. She was often crying and his eyes were often bloodshot, but they barely acknowledged one another.

It wasn't until a cool morning in late October that they finally spoke. In fact, it was the only time they talked that entire school year. Theodore was wandering the grounds on his daily morning walk when he saw Padma headed his way. She stopped when she reached him and they both turned to stare at the sunset. The breeze gently blew her hair about, and a strand brushed against Theodore's sweater.

They stood there, silent, until the final rays of the sun appeared. "It's beautiful," Padma whispered, mesmerized as always by this simple everyday occurrence. She was surprised that she didn't want to cry—that her feelings for this selfish boy beside her had been washed away by a couple of harsh months.

"It is," Theodore agreed, considering nearly the same things that Padma was. "But it isn't Somerset."


	6. On Kissing in Dark Classrooms

**Name:** Kate, daysandweeks

**House:** Hufflepuff

**Week:** Six

**Prompt:** Choose a character from a house you haven't chosen yet and write a missing moment scene—a scene we know happened but haven't seen. Write in first person. I chose **Penelope Clearwater of Ravenclaw **(as I've chosen all of the houses, but Ravenclaw the least). This missing moment is from a briefly mentioned scene in CoS—Ginny mentions that Percy has been meeting Penelope all over school in secret and that she walked in on them kissing in an empty classroom one day. She asks their brothers not to tease him about it.

_On Kissing in Dark Classrooms_

I giggle as Percy pulls me into the empty classroom. "What are you doing?" I whisper, a bit nervous. In ten minutes it will be time to return to our individual common rooms, and as prefects we shouldn't be sneaking into empty classrooms, daringly close to missing curfew—especially since we're in our sixth year. I'm not so sure that I care about becoming Head Girl, but I know Percy has had his sights set on becoming Head Boy since our first year. He's certainly never broken a rule in his entire six years at Hogwarts.

"Penny," he says, shutting the door behind us, "just a moment. Alright?" He's laughing as well, probably just a nervous as I am. I begin to wonder if it's for different reasons. Maybe he's not worried about missing curfew. Maybe he has something else on his mind.

It's dark in the classroom, so I use my wand for light, as if brightening the room will add some clarification to the situation. "_Lumos_," I murmur. I hold the wand before me so that I can make Percy out in the darkness. I'm surprised by how close he stands to me. He smiles at me as I take him in—the freckles, the red hair, the gangly height. Percy's not exactly handsome, but with his horn-rimmed glasses he's endearingly bookish. I suppose that's what attracted me to him last year and what prompted me to ask him if he wanted to meet up at the Three Broomsticks that weekend. From there it's history—we've been together ever since. His family has yet to know, but I understand that. His brothers will only tease us, which Percy will greatly dislike.

I'm surprised when Percy pulls me from my thoughts by wrapping his fingers around my wand. He gently tugs it and I allow him to pull it from my grip. He proceeds to place the wand on a desk before turning towards me again, a look in his eyes that throws me off balance. I can't tell if he's excited or nervous, happy or in agony.

Feeling a bit wobbly, I lean into Percy for support but then, going with my instinct, catch him off guard by kissing him. It's not like we haven't done this before. We've been dating for over a year, after all. We've never done anything of the sort in public though. There seems to be a Weasley everywhere and Percy doesn't want his siblings finding out. "It'll be a mess," he told me once with one of his rare, somehow still serious laughs. "Fred and George will never get off your cause."

I have never told Percy that I wouldn't care if they bothered me. It would be nice to just be open about our relationship. Then maybe we could go about doing things like this more often…

Yes, that'd be nice. Kissing Percy feels wonderful. I'm surprised when he runs his hands through my curly hair. We're normally surprisingly chaste in our encounters, at least given the fact that we've been dating for over a year. We generally spend our time together doing homework in the library and engaging in conversations that cause me to feel strange in bed that night—conversations that leave me hungry for moments like this one, in a dark room with Percy running his fingers through my hair and kissing me fiercely.

This particular moment feels as if it's straight out of my imagination. Percy's lips are uncharacteristically hard and insistent and I pull back, confused by the wild pounding of my heart. We're never like this with each other in real life. It's always simple kisses in alcoves for us. No teeth, no tongues. Tonight, something is different.

"Percy," I murmur, still clutching his sweater from the kiss, "what's wrong?"

I can tell that Percy's blushing even in the almost-darkness. "Nothing's wrong," he assures me in his usual steady cadence, though I don't believe him. I run a hand along his cheek and he leans into it before kissing my palm, sending shivers up my arm and down my spine. He leans in and kisses my lips now, softly this time, though somehow much less innocent than in previous encounters.

I want this. I really do. I've wanted this for ages but have been too nervous to push Percy. I pull him to me once more, this time wrapping my hands around the back of his neck. He deepens the kiss, pushing me a bit so that I have to sit up on the desk behind me. He kisses me hungrily and I kiss him back with equal passion, realizing that he's trying to tell me something that, for once in his life, he's unable to tell me with words.

_But that's what our relationship has always been about_, I think. _Words!_ My mind flies back to the memory of our first date, where we discussed literature in the Three Broomsticks. From there I remember conversations in the library, where we heatedly discussed potions theory and charm development after debating the merits and stupidity of divination. These topics were all so interesting and wonderful, and when I'm with Percy I feel so grateful that I've found a boyfriend who wants to _talk_—a boy who's as intellectual and as focused and ambitious as I am. We're not talking now, though, so something has to be the matter.

I pull away again, my hands gripping Percy's face so that he has to look me in the eye. His eyes turn to my lips again and then he reluctantly meets my gaze. We can't help but giggle for a bit before I kiss him gently and then beg, using a slight frown that I know will work its magic on him, "Please, Percy. Please tell me what's wrong."

He purses his lips before leaning away from me and letting out an audible sigh. He perches on the desk behind him, staring down at his feet. "What's wrong," he says to his shoes, "is that…well…"

His hesitation strikes me as hilarious. "Oh my God," I say, unable to stop myself from laughing once more before continuing. "Oh my God! Percy… For once in your life, you're speechless."

Percy rolls his eyes and finally meets my gaze, smirking despite the fact that he hates being made fun of. I grab my wand and hold it between us so that we can see one another clearly again. He reaches over to cup my cheek and then drops his hand to his side in the span of a second. "It's not that I'm speechless," he assures me, crossing his legs at the ankles. "It's that I was worried about you, Penny. I was worried about you all year, and Ginny… And now she's alright and _you're_ alright and I have you again."

He trails off and then stands up to embrace me, his eyes downcast again, obviously embarrassed from sharing his emotions. My wand clatters to the ground as I wrap my arms around his waist. It feels so good to be here, in Percy's arms. I can't imagine how he felt while I was petrified. The whole experience was frightening for me, to say the least, and I wasn't even there, so to speak. I pull Percy to me as tightly as I can and he hugs me back just as strongly.

It's wonderfully flattering to know he missed me so much. Sometimes I can't help but wonder if this relationship is real. Barely anyone knows about it, not to mention the fact that we don't do things normal couples do. I've seen my friends snog boys they barely know, but Percy and I have been together for ages now and have only just started bestowing more than innocent kisses upon one another.

"I love you," he murmurs into my hair, shocking me out of all thoughts physical. Surprised, I pull my head away from the itchy texture of his sweater to look him in the eye. I can't see him, though, as my wand has rolled across the room and underneath the front desk.

_He loves me_, I think, ecstatic yet confused. I feel frozen, though not in the same way I was after meeting the basilisk's gaze. I finally manage to bite my lip, although quite unconsciously, a habit I know Percy finds annoying yet cute. _Do I love him too?_ He won't ask that of me, but it's an essential question and I owe him a response. God, after him worrying about me like that… If anything, he definitely deserves to know how I feel.

Whether I do love Percy or not, I know that I adore the fact that he has saved these words until this moment—the moment he truly means them. In my fourth year I went out on one date, my first, with a Hufflepuff boy who has since graduated. He asked me to be his girlfriend at the end of the date, and I quickly accepted. When he went to hug me goodbye, I was shocked when he told me loved me. It wasn't possible that he did—we hadn't even had a conversation about anything other than classes and Quidditch! I was so disgusted by his impracticality that I walked away and then refused to meet him in the eye until the end of the month, when he cornered me in the hallway and said, "So, I guess that means we're broken up."

But Percy's not some foolish boy. He understands the meaning of those words. I stare up at him, taking all of him in. He's wonderful, I realize. He's always been there for me—helping me study, listening to me rant about any problem I have in my life, waiting for me to wake from a possibly eternal slumber. And when he's not doing those things, Percy's still wonderful. He's wonderful when he's writing a Potions essay, when he's cleaning his glasses with his shirt, when he's rolling his eyes at his brothers—even when he's taking unnecessary points away from truant students while other prefects just turn the other way. Most importantly, Percy is wonderful when he tells me he loves me.

Astonished by my sudden realization, I shake my head. "I love you too," I say, hearing the tears in my voice before I feel them roll down my cheeks. He pulls me to him and we kiss once more. I'm so lost in the moment—the realization, the tears, the kiss, the wonderfulness—that I don't hear the classroom door open. Only a shocked squeak alerts me to the fact that there's another person in the classroom with us.

Percy must hear the squeak too, for he jumps away from me, reaching for his wand instinctively. I reach for mine as well, but then remember that it rolled away. My eyes snap to the doorway, where a small girl stands, her lit wand before her. I make out red hair, wide eyes… It's Percy's little sister, Ginny.

"Ginny!" Percy exclaims, obviously flustered. "What are you doing here?"

Ginny takes a few seconds to realize what's going on but then smirks in a manner similar to her brother. "I could ask them same of you," she says, leaning against the door, her hands behind her back. I hear her twist the doorknob over and over. "It's just past curfew."

Percy glares at her and I can't help but giggle before starting to search for my wand. "Yes, well," he says. I know that tone. The tips of his ears must be bright red. He's so cute when he's embarrassed. "Yes, well," he repeats, "_I'm_ a prefect. It's alright if I'm out after hours. I could be on duty, after all."

"Or snogging your girlfriend," I hear Ginny retort the moment I find my wand.

I pick it up and stand to face her but then turn to Percy. "It's alright, Percy," I tell him. His jaw has dropped and I can tell he's debating whether or not to give our secret away. "If you don't want anyone to know still, we can trust Ginny." I turn and wink at her.

Ginny smiles back, nodding. "Of course you can trust me, Perce," she announces. To me, she adds, "I've had my share of teasing from the twins too, you know."

I do trust the girl. Ginny's been through a lot this year—more than I have—so it's easy to relate to her despite our age difference. I grin at her before taking Percy's hand and leading him to the doorway. He's not through with his sister, though. "What are you doing here anyway?" he asks, his voice curious.

"I snuck out of the common room. I've been up all night writing an essay for Charms and I have one for Transfiguration due tomorrow as well. I think I left my textbook in here and I need it for a reference."

Percy reaches towards the door and Ginny steps away from it, allowing her brother to wrap his hand around the doorknob. He pulls the door open and then nods at Ginny. "You've got to stop procrastinating," he tells her.

With a wink in my direction, Ginny retorts, "_You've_ got to stop snogging girls in dark classrooms. Penelope deserves better than that, Percy."

I can't help but giggle. Chastised, Percy frowns and leaves the classroom, still holding my hand. We quietly walk down the halls and I use my peripheral vision to glance at Percy. Sure enough, the tips of his ears are bright red. "She has some nerve," he grumbles, though I can't help but realize that we're holding hands in what might possibly be public for the first time.

He walks me to my common room, still holding my hand as we climb up the winding staircase. When we reach the door, he smiles at the eagle knocker. Percy loves coming to the common room with me and answering the riddle. In fact, sometimes I seek him out when I can't think of the answer myself.

"You can hear me but not see me and I speak only when spoken to," the knocker announces. "What am I?"

I know this one. I smile up at Percy, squinting and squeezing his hand. He returns the pressure, obviously mulling the riddle over. A few moments pass, but he doesn't turn to me for help. "An echo," he finally decides, and the door opens.

"Well," I say, turning to gaze into the common room. Two third years—a short dark-haired girl and a blonde-haired boy—lounge on the couch, finishing up one of their final essays of the year.

"Well," Percy says. He grips my free hand, surprising me. The third years aren't watching us, but this is the most intimate we've ever been in public. Maybe Percy's actually heeding Ginny's words.

"I love you," Percy says, blurting the worlds out with a passionate insistence before leaning forward and kissing me goodnight.

I return the kiss before pulling away and shyly whispering, "I love you too. Good night."

"Good night."

I reluctantly drop his hands before entering the common room, staring back at Percy the whole time. He grins and waves before the door quietly shuts. "Is that your bloke?" the girl asks as I pass them, her voice betraying that she's a hopeless romantic and dying for the details.

Though usually I brush off any comments about Percy and I being in a relationship, I turn to the girl and smile. "Yes," I tell her. "Yes, he is."

With a content sigh, I make my way towards my dormitory, running a hand through my curly hair like Percy did while we kissed earlier. I giggle again, thinking of Ginny and her words of advice—a laced threat, almost.

My next thought leaves me feeling both joyful and nostalgically sad.

Maybe next year we won't need to spend our evenings kissing between desks in dark, empty classrooms.


End file.
